Deinandra arida facts for kids

Deinandra arida is a special plant often called the Red Rock tarplant. It's a type of annual plant, which means it grows from a seed, flowers, produces seeds, and then dies all within one year. This plant is quite rare and belongs to the sunflower family. It used to be known by a different name, Hemizonia arida.

Where the Red Rock Tarplant Lives

The Red Rock tarplant likes to grow in specific places. You can find it on clay and volcanic soils. It also grows in desert dry washes, which are sandy or rocky streambeds that are usually dry but can fill with water after it rains. This plant lives at elevations from about 1,000 to 3,000 feet (300 to 900 meters) above sea level.

A Rare California Plant

This plant is very rare! It is only found in about 10 known spots. All of these places are in the Red Rock Canyon State Park area. This park is located in the Mojave Desert in Kern County, California. Because it's found in so few places, it's considered a critically endangered plant in California.

How the Red Rock Tarplant Grows

The Red Rock tarplant is a plant that grows from a seed each year. It has many branches and can reach a height of 1 to 3 feet (30 to 90 centimeters). That's about as tall as a small kid or a big dog!

Leaves and Stems

The leaves of the Red Rock tarplant are interesting.

• The lower leaves are shaped like a spear, but wider at the tip and narrower at the base. This shape is called oblanceolate. They are smooth and don't have hairs. Their edges are also slightly toothed.
• The upper leaves are different. They have smooth edges, meaning they don't have any teeth. These leaves are covered in short, stiff hairs, which makes them feel a bit bristly if you touch them.

Flowers and Fruits

The flowers of the Red Rock tarplant grow in clusters. These clusters are flat on top and are found at the very tips of the stems. Each cluster is actually a flower head, which looks like one big flower but is made up of many tiny flowers.

• Each flower head has 18 to 25 yellow disk flowers in the center.
• Around these disk flowers, there are 5 to 10 yellow ray flowers. These are the "petals" that stick out from the center, like the rays of the sun.
• Small, bristly leaf-like parts called phyllaries partly cover the seeds. These seeds are called akenes.